With some limp end of season form harming Forest’s chances of getting into the top-five, it felt like win or bust in East London for the East Midlanders.
Perhaps feeling the pressure, the Tricky Trees were fortunate not to fall behind inside two minutes, when Tomáš Souček’s header forced a fine one-handed save out of Matz Sels.
That said, a frantic opening five minutes could’ve seen Forest nose ahead too, as Ola Aina’s long throw worked its way to Morgan Gibbs-White at the far post and his volleyed effort was stunningly blocked by the legs of Alphonse Areola.
The hero soon became the villain though, with Areola dropping a clanger which handed Forest the opener on a silver plate. His loose pass towards Guido Rodríguez on the edge of the area was pounced upon by Gibbs-White, who had the simplest of tasks to roll the ball into an empty net.
There was something of a lull in proceedings after that opener, but Forest ought to have gone into the break two goals in front, when Chris Wood’s left-footed drive was well stopped by the legs of Areola, who went some way to atoning for his earlier error.
In a miraculous turn of events after half-time, Forest centre-back Murillo was taken down the tunnel on the back of a mobile stretcher, yet ran out of the tunnel for the beginning of the second half.
It was his defensive partner Nikola Milenković who was involved in the first flashpoint of the second 45, steering home Anthony Elanga’s delivery, and after a six-minute VAR check for a potential offside, the goal was eventually awarded.
At 2-0 down, West Ham then made a belated effort to take something from their home finale, and a stunning last-ditch block from Neco Williams denied Luis Guilherme what looked to be a certain goal as the final 10 minutes approached.
A tactical switch to Nuno Espírito Santo’s favoured back five system was supposed to shore the Tricky Trees up in the closing stages, but instead, the move backfired. The additional defender brought on, Marato, miscued a clearance to Jarrod Bowen, who took one touch to set himself before hammering into the top corner with his second.
That set up a grandstand finish, and the visitors would have been dismayed to see 11 minutes of injury time held up by the fourth official. They managed to negotiate them successfully though, clinging on to secure three vital points and set up a top-five showdown with Chelsea on the final day.
Defeat means precious little for West Ham, who are merely playing to avoid finishing as the worst-placed surviving side in the closing stages of the season.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Nikola Milenković (Nottingham Forest)
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